Sports Frequently Asked Questions : Northern Hills Community Association

Registration FAQs:

How do I register?
You can register online by clicking on the REGISTER NOW link at the top of the Kids Outdoor Soccer page. You can register at any time and registration will be open for the whole month of February 2012. This link will take you to the online Kids Outdoor Soccer registration software, where you can also purchase a membership at the same time. Payments online can be made by VISA or MasterCard.
For Ladies 30+ Soccer and Adult Slopitch, the registrations are via the NHCA Community Membership registration software. You can register by clicking on the REGISTER NOW links on their respective pages.
We also are holding in-person registration sessions for all three sports programs every Saturday in February from 10am-12.30pm at the NHCA Office in Cardel Place.

I tried to use my NHCA membership username and password to register for the Kids Outdoor Soccer program, but it says I’m not in the database. I am a member, so why am I not in the database?
The two registration systems are separate. The Kids Outdoor Soccer registration program can “speak” to the membership database to check for valid memberships and even purchase them for you during the registration process, but it is a separate system.
If you have not registered for soccer before, you will need to register as a new family. A new password will be sent to the email address you use to register.
If you have registered for soccer before and can’t remember your password, there is the option at the beginning of the registration process to have your password sent to the email you registered with.

I want to pay with my debit card/cash, so can I register in person?
Yes. In 2012 we will be holding in-person registration every Saturday in February at the NHCA Office in the Genstar Wing of Cardel Place (click here for opening times).
If you would like to volunteer to help out during Saturday registrations in February, please contact the Kids Soccer Administrator as soon as possible at soccer@northernhills.ab.ca.

I live just outside of the NHCA area, but my child wants to play with their friends from school in your league. Do I have to be a resident of the Northern Hills?
No, you don’t. You will need to purchase an Associate membership to the NHCA for those living outside of “The Hills”, which is the same price as a Family membership and can be done during the registration process.

When I registered my child in the soccer program, I requested my child be on a team with their friends. Will this request be honored?
Northern Hills soccer will attempt to honor the request of a child playing with their friends where possible, but this cannot be guaranteed.

Do I have a choice of what field my child will play on?
We are not able to honor field requests, as stated in the policies and waiver information which must be read and agreed to during registration.
The fields are decided upon once we ascertain how many teams there are in each age group. Certain fields have a greater capacity than others, and allow for more parking without becoming a nuisance to the residents of that area. Some divisions (like U6) are very large and therefore they play on many different fields. However, all of the fields are in the NHCA area and therefore close by. You will not be required to travel to different areas of the city.

Can my child play in a lower age group (so that they can play with their sibling / play on a different night)?
Due to regulations that we must adhere to, your younger child can play up one division if a parent requests this during registration (ie a 6 year old can play in a U8 team), but NOT down (ie a 7 year old could NOT play in U6). This is for safety reasons for all of the children playing in that division and unfortunately exceptions cannot be made for any reason.

For U8, can I choose whether my child plays in a boys (or girls) or mixed team?
Yes. If you have a particular preference, please enter “boys team”, “girls team” or “mixed team” in the “Special Requests” box during registration. If you didn’t add this during registration, but would like to choose, please just email the Soccer Administrator at soccer@northernhills.ab.ca with the name of the player, the telephone number you registered with and your choice.

Volunteer Fee FAQs:

What is the $50 volunteer fee?
The NHCA and its activities are run almost entirely by volunteers. Our success depends on our volunteers!
This fee is levied to encourage parents to take an active role in either their child(ren)’s sport or in community activities. In past years, the $50 fee was payable by all families who didn’t want to help out by volunteering. This was paid at registration for those who did not want to volunteer or was charged at the end of the year if the family had not met their volunteering obligations throughout that year.
For 2012, this fee will be charged at registration and refunded once the volunteering obligations have been met (5 hours per family – this can be split between members of the family).

I am going to volunteer, so do I have to pay the $50 volunteer fee?
For the 2012 season, ALL families must pay the $50 volunteer fee at registration. This fee will be refunded to you by cheque when you have completed your volunteering obligations (5 hours per family).

I have more than one child that will be registered for soccer. Do I have to pay this fee twice?
No. The volunteer fee is charged per family, not per child.

I don’t want to volunteer for any of the named roles in the soccer program. Can I volunteer for something else?
Yes. Make sure you select “as required” when you register. You will be emailed and offered a volunteering opportunity when they arise. However, please remember that the success of the soccer program depends on having volunteers to fill all of the main roles. For example, if a team does not have a coach, then we may be forced to disband that team and refund the registration fees, which would be heartbreaking for the children in that team as they would be unable to play this season.
If you would like to volunteer for a particular non-sporting committee or event, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator to offer your services. She can be emailed at volunteer@northernhills.ab.ca. More information can be found on our Sports Volunteering page or on the NHCA Volunteers Opportunities page.
If you would like to volunteer to help out during Saturday registrations in February, please contact the Kids Soccer Administrator as soon as possible at soccer@northernhills.ab.ca.

General Kids Soccer FAQs:

When is the outdoor soccer season?
The outdoor soccer season runs from the first week in May to the last week in June.

When is the indoor soccer season?
We don’t run an indoor soccer program yet, but it is being looked into by the NHCA Sports Director. If you would like to help set one up, please contact sports@northernhills.ab.ca.

What equipment do I need to buy?
The registration fee includes the soccer uniform (shorts, jersey and socks) and all the team equipment required to play (nets, balls, training equipment, whistle, etc). You will only need to buy footwear and shin protectors (these are mandatory). For further information, please click on the division (age group), located at the bottom of the Kids Outdoor Soccer main page.

Where are the soccer fields located?
Maps of the fields are supplied on the Kids Outdoor Soccer Division pages on the NHCA website. All of the fields are in the NHCA area and therefore close by. You will not be required to travel to different areas of the city.

When will I be contacted to know what team my child is playing on?
Your coach will contact you via email. This is why it is important to ensure that the email address of you and your children is updated in the registration software. The coaches will be depending upon this information in order to contact the children on their team.

If I volunteered to coach, when will I be contacted?
The soccer coordinator will contact you with the following information – a coaches meeting where a coaching package and seminar will be supplied, when and where to pick-up the equipment bags and when and where to pick-up the uniforms. The schedules and field maps will be supplied on the NHCA website as soon as they have been produced.

Kids Fitness Tax Credit FAQs:

What is this tax credit?
Information is provided on the Northern Hills Sports Fitness Tax Credit page.

How do I get a tax certificate?
In January of the following year, the NHCA will e-mail you a link to the online program which produces your certificate. If you do/did not receive this email, please check your junk/spam folder. If you have changed your email address since you registered for soccer, then you need to let the NHCA office know so they can update your information in the online sports program which produces these certificates. This is another reason why it is important to keep us updated with your current information.

I clicked on the link to get my tax certificate and it says I have been sent an email, but I haven’t received it.
Please allow 24 hours for the email to reach you. These are generated automatically by the online sports program. If you still have not received it after 24 hours, please make sure that you are checking the email address you used to register for the soccer program with and check your spam folder. If you still have not received it, please contact the NHCA office.

I paid $130 for U4 soccer for my child, but my tax credit is only for $50. Why?
Only the actual sports program fee is eligible for the tax credit. Your $30 membership fee and the $50 you paid so you didn’t have to volunteer are not eligible.

LADIES’ 30+ SOCCER:

I am 25. Can I play in this league?
Unfortunately we do not currently run a league for under 30s, but if you would like to set one up, please contact either the Sports Director (sports@northernhills.ab.ca) or the Ladies 30+ Soccer Program Coordinator (northernhillsladies@gmail.com) and they will be happy to discuss it with you.

How do I register?
You can register online by clicking on the REGISTER NOW link at the top of the Ladies’ 30+ Outdoor Soccer page, which will become active on 1st February. This link will take you to the online registration software, where you can also purchase a membership at the same time. Payments online can be made by VISA or MasterCard.

Why do I need to buy two years of membership?
This only applies for the Ladies’ 30+ Indoor Soccer league. As it runs during the winter, it runs over two membership years because the NHCA membership runs from 1st January-31st December each year.

ADULT SLO-PITCH:

How do I register?
You can register online by clicking on the REGISTER NOW link at the top of the Adult Slo-pitch page, which will become active on 1st February. This link will take you to the online registration software, where you can also purchase a membership at the same time. Payments online can be made by VISA or MasterCard.

OTHER SPORTS:

I can only see soccer and slo-pitch on the website. What other sports do you play?
We do not currently run any other sports programs at this time. Our volunteer Sports Director might be a superwoman, but there are only 24 hours in her day! However, if you would like to get involved in setting up another sports program, please contact her via email at sports@northernhills.ab.ca.

Now that you have the outdoor rinks are you going to set up a hockey league?
These community outdoor rinks are not designed for playing hockey and are for recreational skating only. Please do not play hockey on these rinks as they are not boarded. If you would like to join a committee to help build a boarded rink, then please contact community@northernhills.ab.ca.
If you would like to play hockey, please visit http://www.calgaryarea.com/calgary_hockey.htm to find a local club to meet your needs and skill level.